Lubricating system for rotary vane pumps



June 3, 1941' F. c. FULCHER LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR ROTARY VANE PUMPS Filed May 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 2.

Y n canto M W34 MA lay Attorney June 3, 1941. F. c. FULCHER LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR ROTARY VANE PUMPS Filed May 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented-June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUBRICATING srsf gizzoa v I Frank Christian Fuicher, may, England Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,453

In Great Britain October 12, 1938 s Claims. (01. 230-201) The present invention relates to rotary pumps for displacing a gaseopsmedium of the kind-in which angularly spaced co-axial vanes "or blades mounted to rotate'jwi'hima chamber having suction and discharg port are arranged to p'ass through slots in the wall of a barrel-hkerotor which ,also rotates-within the chamber uponan In pumps of the kind referred to above, the barrel-like rotor is journalled in a casing which contains the working chamber and is provided with axially extending slots in which the vanes or blades are slidably guided. The outer extremities of the vanes or blades may have a clearance from the inner surface of the working chamber, but the inner ends of the vanes freely contact with a common axial pin or carry hinge portions which are rotatably mounted upon a common spindle. Each such. pump has therefore a plurality of more or less contacting and relatively moving surfaces between which, in practice, it is highly desirable to maintain a film of oil or other lubricant if undue frictional losses and wear of the parts is to be avoided. To this end it is usual to lubricate such pumps with the aid of a pressure lubricating system whereby a fluid lubricant is forced along ducts or conduits formed in the walls of the casing of the mechanism so that the lubricant in fluid or vaporous state is forced between the relatively moving'surfaces to create the requisite film therebetween.

The constructional nature of such pumps is such that any lubricant which is forced between the moving surfaces in excess of the quantity necessary for creating the requisite film will, in all probability, find its way into the working chamber and thus be lost from the lubricating system while forming an addition, which in many cases is undesirable, to the fluid discharged by the pump in operation.

In considering the problem of avoiding such undesirable waste of lubricating fluid and the sometimes injurious effect of such waste fluid uponthe pump discharge, it should be appreciated that the temperature of the pumps increases considerably during operation for any relativelyj; k I ff'floodingwhen. the pump commence's to, operate swimm rs appreciable length of time so that' although in I known constructions thereof the arrangement may be such that the feed pressure of the lubricant maintains a good film thereof between the lug surfaces without waste or v at a normal temperature, the clearances, between the said surfaces increase as the temperaturebf the device is raised dur ing its continued operation whereupon the flow of lubricant increases in proportion to the inof the system determined for any given 011 sup ply pressure without being affected by increase in the clearances between the surfaces to be lubricated.

An important object of the invention is to apply a regulated flow pressure lubricating system to a pump of the lcnd above set forth and constructed in accordance with the invention described in my co-pending United States patent application lodged on May 24, 1939, under Serial No. 275,454, in which a reduced portion of the rotor is journalled cantilever fashion in bearings positioned at one extremity only of the rotor, so that the rotor proper can rotate without contact with a bearing surface.

Rotary pumps of the kind set forth above are commonly housed in a casing formed with a neck terminating in a mounting flange which is rebated upon its face to accommodate an adaptor plate or engine pad which facilitates the mounting of the pump upon, for example, the crank case of the engine which drives the pump. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to construct a rotary pump of the kind defined, with an improved regulated flow lubricating system which is fed under pressure, if desired through the engine pad, with lubricant from the engine lubricating system or with lubricant from another source accordingto which is most convenient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump of the kind set forth. r with a pressure lubricating system inciumflow regulating device which is disposed intermediate the suction and delivering sides of the pump and preferably at the lowermost point of the casing preferably in the upper part of the pump casing may be adapted in known manner for connection to a feed pipe along which the lubricant is pumped from an external source of supply or from the engine lubricating system, A further duct or ducts which enters or enter the annular channel preferably at or adjacent the lowermost point thereof extends or extend to a flow regulating. device provided in the casing in accordance with the present invention. v

The flow regulating device may conveniently communicate with passages leading to the hinges of the vanes and to the vane-guiding slots in the rotor. Furthermore, the flow regulating device may lie at the lowermost part of the pump or motor casing, intermediate the intake and discharge sides thereof, while the lubricant ducts in the rotor communicate with the flow regulating device or with segmental grooves in the peripheral surface of the rotor, the ducts or grooves successively registering with the flow regulating device as the rotor rotates. Thus paths are set up for the passage of the lubricant from the fiow regulating device to the contacting, relatively moving surfaces of the pump.

One of the difficulties of lubricating pumps of the kind herein described is that of distributing the oil over the working parts to which oil is not directly conveyed and this is achieved according to the present invention by delivering oil in the form of mist to the working chamber wherein the gaseous medium is being displaced so that the air-borne oil is freely distributed over such working parts. For this purpose there is included in the lubricant passage a gap which is formed by co-operating relatively rotating surfaces and opens into the working chamber, the

surfaces being of a diameter at least substantially the diameter of the rotor so as to move relatively to each other at least as fast as the peripheral speed of the rotor. From this gap the oil is delivered into the working chamber in a mist and in order that the lubricant shall not stream through the gap the regulating device is situated in advance thereof and permits the flow through the gap of only such quantities or lubricant as will enable the latter to be broken up and distributed around the rotor.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe constructions herein-- after more specifically described.

constructional forms of the invention embod ied, by way of example, in a rotary vane pump of the kind above referred to, are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which-- Flg. 1 is a sectional, side elevation of a rotary vane pump according to the present invention,

as particularly constructed for duty as a vacuum pump on aircraft for the operation of suction driven flight instruments and gyropilots and to provide ample discharge pressure for the operation of de-icer equipment, embodying a regulated flow pressure lubricating system.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional end view of the pump looking in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 1).

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the pump 11- lustrating the relation of the vane to the rotor barrel and pump chamber.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the rotor barrel, showing the layout of the lubricating ducts.

Fig. 5 is a detail, drawn to a larger scale, of the flow regulating device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of an alternative constructional form of flow regulating device.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of another alternative constructional form of flow regulating device.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view drawn to a larger scale, showing a convenient manner of connecting the lubricating system of Figs. 1 and 2 to the lubricant within an engine crankcase upon which the pump is mounted.

Fig. 9 shows in end elevation a modified arrangement of the lubricant feed ducts in the rotor barrel, and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view at right angles to Fig. 9.

The construction of the pump arrangement as shown in Fig. 1 of the appended drawings is as specifically described in my co-pending United States patent application lodged on May 24, 1939, under Serial Nos. 275,454, 275,455 and 275,456.

For the purpose of the present application it is sufiicient to indicate that the moving parts of the pump are housed in a casing l0 closed at one end by a sealing'plate l2 and provided at the other end with a reduced neck portion H which terminates at its free end in a flange l3, the latter being rebated upon its outer face to seat the axially projecting boss N of an annular flanged adaptor plate I5.

The neck I I houses a pair of radial typeball bearings I6, I! spaced apart by a spacing tube 18. and spacing washer l9 which abut the inner races of ball bearings l6 and I! respectively, and clamp between their adjacent extremities a resilient dished sealing Washer 29 so that the outer peripheral edge of the sealing washer presses against the inner face of outer race of ball bearing IS. The construction and function of washer 20 is fully disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 275,454 referred to above, and it is sufficient merely to mention here that it serves to lessen loss of vacuum or pressure in the pump or motor by leakage along the neck of the device; to prevent the flow of lubricant from the interior of the pump into the crankcase of the engine; and to prevent an excessive amount of oil passing through the engine pad into the pump, and also acts virtually to seal off an annular space Ii between the bearings I6 and I! in which a comparatively cool lubricant can accumulate.

The ball bearings I6, I I nest in stepped annular recesses in the inner peripheral wall of easing neck H and serve to journal the reduced axial extension 22 of the rotor barrel 2| so that the latter is rotatably supported cantilever fashion to project into the pumping chamber of the.

' association therewith as disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 275,455, to which reference is made above.

The axle 22 of the rotor barrel is hollow to form a sleeve which houses one end of a splined driving shaft 36 and flexible means 39 for coupling the rotor and driving shaft as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 275,456, to which reference is made above.

The adaptor plate l5, through which the driving shaft projects, has an axially extending spigot 31 which engages ahole in the engine pad 38 of the engine crankcase and is secured therein by studs 38a so as securely to mount the pump in such manner that the splined driving shaft 38 projects into the crankcase for engagement with a driving sprocket (not shown).

The openings in the centres of the adaptor plate l and engine accessory pad 38 permit oil from the crankcase to lubricate the flexible coupling 39 between rotor and driving shaft, and the ball bearing I6.

The vane spindle 23, mounted at one extremity in a boss 25 in the sealin plate l2, extends axially inwards through the insert plate 26 so as to project into the rotor barrel to act as an axle for the pump vanes 24 which are mounted upon the spindle 23 in the manner of hinge flaps. The spaced knuckles or butts 21 of the several hinged vanes interleave and embrace the spindle 23 in bearing contact therewith, while the flap of each vane slidably contacts with the sides of guide slots 28 extending longitudinally and diametrically of rotor pins 29 of circular cross section, which are rotatably mounted in axially extending slots 30 of appropriate cross section formed in the wall of the rotor barrel 2|. Clearances 0| are provided between the diametrical edges of I the rotor vanes 24 and the adjacent faces of the end wall of the rotor barrel and ported insert plate, but the outer, axially extending edges of the vanes may make contact with the inner wall of the pump chamber of easing Hi.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that it is necessary or at least desirable to lubricate all of the surfaces of the pump structure which are relatively moving and in bearing contact as above described and for such purpose a lubricating system is arranged according to the present invention. To this end, the lubricant is fed under pressure to an annular recess or groove 3| formed in the inner peripheral wall of the casing neck I in a diametrical plane occupied by the ball bearing l6 so that the outer race of the latter blinds the groove 3| to form it into a closed channel.

The groove 3| communicates, by means of a short, diametrically extending duct 33 with a reservoir 32 located at the top of the casing neck and formed by a tapped bore in which a hollow connecting plug 80 is engaged. The plug 8|) is adapted for connection to the nozzle 8| of a lubricant supply conduit 82, the nozzle 8| being cou-;

pled to plug 80 by a union nut 83. The conduit 82 is connected to a pressure lubricant supply which may be pumped from the engine case or may emanate from an entirely separate source.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 8, the pump may be mounted directly upon an engine accessory pad and it may then be desirable to feed the annular groove 3| and reservoir 32 with lubricant through a passage in the engine accessory pad. In this-case the reservoir 32 located at the top of the casing neck and formed by a tapped bore is closed by a threaded, hollow plug 34, while the I lubricant is fed to the groove 3| and reservoir 32 through an axially extending duct 35 which may be connected to any source of pressure lubricant supply, but in the construction now being dewitha passage 66 which extends along the wall of the casing neck II and slopes downwards towards a flow regulating device F which is housed in a boss 4| formed in the casing of the pump and positioned in the vertical axial plane thereof so as to lie between the suction side S and discharge side D of the pump.

Although desirable in many cases to locate the flow regulating device F in the angular position above described, it is possible for example to locate it at any other point in the same diametrical plane as that occupied by the device in the appended drawings.

' The boss 4| is bored to provide a duct 42 which leads through the wall of the .casing l0 and lies in a diametrical plane contained in the thickness of the end wall 43of the rotor barrel 2| thereby to lead into a fine annular gap Or clearance Hi0 between the relatively moving peripheries of the end wall 43 of the rotor barrel 2| and the surrounding cylindrical wall of the aperture H12 in the casing extension The boss 4| is counterbored to form a shouldered recess 45 to receive a jet plug 44, through which the lubricant is supplied to the duct 42. The jet plug 44 in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, is a hollow, cylindrical member externally screwthreaded intermediate its ends for engagement with the lower portion of the wall of the counterbore 45 which is appropriately tapped for such engagement, and reduced in diameter adjacent its upper extremity to make a close fit in the upper unthreaded portion of the counterbore 45.

The jet plug 44 is of sufllcient length to project to an appreciable extent from the boss 4|, and the outwardly projecting portion of theplug is screwthreaded to receive a flanged cap nut 41. A packing washer 61 is interposed between the flanged peripheral edge of the cap nut 41 and end face of boss 4| to seal the joint between these members, and the cap nut has sufficient axial length to leave a space between its bottom and the lower end of the jet plug to form with the plug bore a well or reservoir 46.

The jet plug into the well 48, and the lower peripheral edge thereof is cross-slotted for engagement with a tool for rotating the plug. The upper extremity of the plug is closed by a wall bored with a comparatively fine bore jet orifice 43 which is coaxial with the duct 42 and body of plug 44. The hollow interior of the plug 44 is entered by diametrically extending passages 49 which lead from an annular recess 50 formed in the outer peare counter-recessed to form a wider recess which receives a collar 52 of gauze or like foraminated material to act as a filter for the lubricant fed into the flow regulating device.

A packing washer 53 is interposed between the top of the counterbore45- and top of the plug to seal the joint between the opposed surfaces.

The alternative arrangement of the flow regulating device shown in Fig. 6, is adapted to be housed in a boss 60 constructed and located in the casing Ill and provided with a duct 42 in a manner similar to that described in reference to boss 4| of Fig. 1. The boss 60 is bored to pro- 44 opens at its lower extremity vide the duct 42 leading through the wall of the casing, and counter-bored to form a shouldered recess 6| which receives a jet 59 in the form of a "'idished or skirted washer having a jet orifice 62 which registers co-axially with duct 42.

The flow regulating jet makes an easy push fit with the shouldered recess 6| so as to be readily removable when it is desired to substitute another jet therefor, or clear the existing jet.

The outer end of the recess 6| of boss 60 is counterbored and tapped to receive a threaded, hollow plug 63, the hollow interior of which forms part of a reservoir or well for the lubricant. The upper extremity of plug 63 is reduced in diameter to provide an annular groove 64 which registers with the appropriate end of the oil passage 65 and opens into the interior of the 55a lead from passage 55 to the peripheral contacting surfaces of spindle 23 and the butts 21 of vanes 24.

Further passages 51 in the end wall of the rotor extend radially inwards from the outer peripheral surface thereof. The passages 51 also lie in the diametrical plane containing the duct 42, and open into the outer peripheral surface of the rotor barrel so as periodically to register with the inner end of duct 42 as the rotor barrel rotates. Short, axially extending ducts 58 leading from passages 51, open into the inner face hollow plug through radial passages '65 provided in the reduced end wall of the plug 63.

A gauze filtering washer 68 is interposed between the outer peripheral edge of the jet 59 and inner end of plug 63 to aid in preventing the clogging of the Jet by foreign matter contained in the lubricant.

As shown in Fig. 7, in a further alternative arrangement of the fiow regulating jet, the boss 69 is bored to provide the duct 42 which passes through the wall of the casing l0, and counterbored to form an enlarged recess 10, the outer part of the wall of which is tapped to engage a screwthreaded plug -H' which is of shorter axial length than the recess 10 so that a space is left between the top of the recess and inner end of the plug to form a well or reservoir for the lubricant which enters therein through the passage The plug 1| beds upon packing washers Ha and carries at its inner end an axially extending tapered needle 12 which enters the duct 42 so as more or less to restrict the flow of lubricant through the duct according to its axial setting.

A filter cup 13 of gauze, provided in the bot tom thereof with a hole for the passage of the needle I2, is set around the needle with the peripheral edge of its open end seating in an annular-recess 14 formed in the top of the recess 10. The filter cup 13 which, together with its recess 14, may be cylindrical or any other desired shape, acts to filter the lubricant as the latter passes from the reservoir in the boss to the duct 42. The axial setting of needle 12 may be adjusted by substituting packing washers Ha of different thickness or different numbers thereof and/or by adjusting the needle axially relatively to the plug 1 I.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the end wall 43 of the rotor barrel is provided with a passage 54 which lies in the diametrical plane occupied by the duct 42 and opens into an arcuate slot 19 which is formed in the peripheral surface of the rotor barrel so as periodically to register with and pass across the inner end of duct 42 as the rotor barrelrevolves, The width of the slot 19 is equal to the diameter of the oil passage 54.

The passage 54 extends radially inwards slightly beyond the axial centre of the vane spindle 23, and a duct 56 co-axial with the spindle axis leads from passage 54 and opens into-the inner surfaceof the rotor end wall 43.

The spindle 23 is provided with a concentric, axially extending passage which has a flared mouth opening into the face of the free end of the spindle so as intermittently to register with the duct 56. Short, diametrically extending ducts of the end wall 43 of the rotor barrel, the ducts 58 being angularly spaced around the rotor wall with each duct lying adjacent the inner end of a bearing slot 28, so that lubricant ejected from the ducts under pressure is fed to the contacting surfaces of bearing slots 28 and 30 and rotor pins 29.

The operation of the lubricating system becomes obvious from the specific description set forth above and needs to be but brieflyrecapitulated as follows:

When the engine to which the pump is attached commences to operate, oil under pressure is forced into the reservoir 32 either from the conduit 82 (Fig. l) or through the oil passage 40 and duct 35 (Fig. 8) and finds its way into the annular channel 1. The oil finds its way around the annular channel 3| partly by gravity and partly by pressure.

From oil channel 3| the oil flows through passage 66 to the flow regulating device F and accumulates in the reservoir therein from whence the oil is fed through the jet orifice 48 to the duct 42.

During the rotation of the rotor barrel 2| the recess 19 and passages 5'1 register successively with duct 42 and receiveoii therein, The oil in recess 19 flows along passage 54 and duct 56 into the axial passage 55 in the vane spindle from whence the oil is fed through ducts 55a to the contacting bearing surfaces of vane spindle and vane butts.

The oil in passages 51 is elected through the end wall 43 of the rotor barrel so as to contact with the peripheral bearing surfaces of the rotor pins 29 and also finds its way to the inner peripheral surface of the rotor barrel and outer axial edges of the vanes 24. The outer peripheral surface of the rotor barrel, where it co-operates with the inner peripheral surface of the casing neck, is freely lubricated by oil from the duct 42, and oil from the same source finds its way into the ball bearing l1, and into the recess 15 between sealing washer 20 and bearing H, in which recess comparatively cool oil accumulates and tends to cool the walls of the casing neck so as 'to limit the expansion thereof and therefore the clearances between said wall and outer races of the bearings, thus to prevent inadvertent turning of said outer ball races relative to the wall of said casing neck.

The size of the relatively fast moving peripheries of the end wall 43 of the rotor barrel 2| and the corresponding portion of the neck H has the effect that the oil is delivered into a fine annular gap between running parts of a size which produces a high peripheral speed.which causes the oil to be delivered in the form of mist into the working chamber wherein the air is being displaced so that the air-home oil is well distributed over the working parts to which 011 is not directly conveyed, and particularly the vanes o at s siio guides..

gap and to feed the ducts and passages of the lubricating; systmnis controlled by the new regulating device F with its jet-,4: which is so selected or adjusted that only such ia quantity will how to the gap as will enable the lubricant to be brolrenup, and in choosing the size or the Jet regard is had to the fact triatan enlargement in the clearance between the sum-tees formin the gap is liable to occur after the pump has been running for some time and nas become heated. This eontr'oliiiay' be readily effectd'by the" use or selected jets or washers or by the adjusting or an adjust-able flow regulatmg device such as that described with reference to Fig'flor the drawings g In each of the'flbw regulatingdevicesdescribed above with reference to Figs; 4 and respectively the flow of the lubricant through 1 the jet may readily be varied by changing the jet or washer for one having a flow regulating on sages.

' During the rotation of therotor barrel 2| the lubricant in groove segment 18 passes along pas;- sage .54 to lubricate the vane bearing surfaces, 8. d the lubricant in groove segments 11 passes along passages 51 to lubricate the bearing surfaces of rotor pins 28 and vanes 24, while the lubricant in groove segments 18 is distributedto the mutual bearing surfaces of rotor barrel and s sv The invention should not be regarded as re stricted to pumps as above described with refer-' ence to the accompanying drawings or to pumps which are driven in the manner above described.

I claim: g

1. A high speed rotary pump of the character described for displacing air or other gases comprising a casing defining end and peripheral 1 walls of a work chamber, inlets and outlets in said casing communicating with said chamber, a cylindrical rotor eccentrically positioned in said chamber, one of said end walls of the work chamber having a cylindrical aperture for receiving an end portion or said rotor and forming a fine annular clearance space between the ex ternal periphery of the rotor and the inner periphery of said surrounding aperture said-fine annular clearance being coincidentfwith thexex ternal surface of the rotor and communicating directly with the interior of said workchamber, reduced journal means extending from said rotor wholly to one side of the end of the barrel portion of the rotor and cooperating bearing means in the casing for rotatably supporting the barrel portion of the rotor cantilever fashion in the .work chamber and so that the wan of said cylin drical aperture in the casing takes-no part in supporting the rotor; a plurality of vane mem-' bers and means within the rotor for supporting the vanes to rotate in said work chamber, slots" in the circumferential wall of the barrel portion of the rotor through which the vanes pass so as to project inside and outside of the barrel por- The, amount of. oil showed to reaonfthe said tion and permit (if a relative sliding movement between the barrel and the vanes when the rotor and vanes turn and the outer edges of the vanes are oarridro'undsaid peripheralwall of the 5 work chamber, a lubricant supply passage for receiving lubricant under pressure said passage communicating with said annular clearance between-thebarrel periphery and the cylindrical I surface of the said aperture in the casing so that by virtue of the high peripheral speed obtainable by-s'aid peripheral barrel portion relative to the surrounding Wall of the aperture the lubricant. can be delivered into the chamber in the form of I a fine mist and deposited as suchon the moving parts therein, and a lubricant-flow regulating device arranged in said passage ahead of said fine clearance, which serves to control the flow through said clearanceand maintains the flow unaffected by variations in the dimensions or the '20 fine clearanceincident to the running of the pu p described ior'fdi'sp'lacing air or other gases, comprising a casing having a circular chamber and including removable meansrorclosing one end or said chamber; said casing defining peripheral and end walls or a working chamber and having inlet and outlet passages communicating with said chamber, a hollow axial extension from said casing, a rotor eccentrically positioned in regard to said chamber and comprising a cylindrical barrel portion which longitudinally bridges the endsjof'sald chamber and has an end wall having a projecting reducedraxialt extension, 2. cylinclricallapertu're in the form of an annular recess in the'said removable end wall and a cylindrical aperture in the opposite end wall,. the walled end of said barrel intruding into said latter aperture as to be telescoped thereby and the 40 free end of the barrel intruding into said recess so that line annular clearances leading directly to the work chamber are formed between the exterior peripheral portions of eachend of the barrel and the surrounding cylindrical walls ,of

said apertures, bearings in said hollow extension l of the casing cooperating with said rotor extension and thereby supporting the barrel cantilever fashion in said work chamber and said end peripheries in spaced relation to the surrounding walls or said annular recess and cylindrical aperture so that said fine clearances are maintained, said barpel having slotted bearings and I longitudinally slotted pins rotatably arranged in I said slotted bearings, vanes passing through the slots in saidrotatable pins in sliding relation thereto be'arings rotatably supporting said vanes about their axis of rotation, said vanes extending radially of the chamber so that their ends can sweep round said peripheral wall of the chamber, a lubricant supply passage in said casi'ng opening into one at least of said fine clearance apertures at the ends or the rotor barrel through which lubricant may be fed under pressure into the clearance aperture for delivering lubricant from the latter in a mist form into the working chamber and in contact with the moving parts therein and a lubricant flow regulating device arranged in said passage ahead of the clearance aperture for controlling the flow through said clearance. I

3. A high speed rotary pump of the character described for displacing air or other gases, comprising a casing having a circular chamber and including removable means for closing one end '75 of said chamber, said casing defining peripheral- 2.- A high speed rotary of the character control the and end walls or aworkixig chamber and-having inletlandioutlet passages communicating with having a projecting reducedaxial extension, a

cylindrical aperture in one of said end walls of the casing for receiving thewalled end 01 the barrel and which forms with the cylindrical'peripheral surface oi the intruding portion oi the barrel, fa fine annular clearance therebetween, bearings in said hollow extension oi the casing cooperating with said rotor extension and thereby supporting the barrel cantilever fashion in said" chamber and maintaining said fine annular clearancasaid ,barrel having slotted bearings in its circumference and longitudinally slotted pins rotatmbly arranged in said bearings, bearings within the barrel rotatably supporting said vanes about their axis of rotation, said vanes extending generally radially of the barrel into the chamber so that their ends can sweep round said peripheral wall or the chamber, a plurality of non-communicating. circumferential grooves formed around the surface of sald'intruding peripheral end portion of ,thebarrel,- a plurality of ducts-extending radially inwardly from said grooves through said end wall the barrel and communicating at their'inner endgwiththe interior oi the work chamber at points adjacent the said pins, vanes and bearings, and a lubricant supply passage opening into said aperturef for supplying lubricant under pressure to said clearance for delivery from the latter in a mist form laterally into the working chamber and ior delivery through said radial ducts to the pins .and vanes and their bearings, and a lubricant flow regulating device arranged in said passage ahead of said clearance aperture for serving to flow through said clearance and into said ducts. a I

4. A rotary vanepump as in claim 1, in which the flow regulating device comprises a removable hollow plug member screw threaded into the casing in the general plane-of the end wall of V, the rotor barrel said plug having, a jet orifice at its inner end leading to said-fine clearance aperture, the hollow stem of said plug being provided with filtering means for cleaning theilubricant in advance of its now through the ie t;

5. A high speed rotary pump according to claim 2, in which said bearings in said hollow extension of the casing'comprise a pair of 'antifriction bearings axially spaced from each other in said hollow extension of the casing, means for sealing of! the outer bearing and the outer end oi the said hollow extension from the working chamber of the pump, saidclearance between the peripheral end of the rotor'barrel and the surrounding wall of said cylindrical aperture communicating with the interior of said sealed extension so as to permit lubricant to be fed to said inner bearing, means for mounting said casing onto a lubricated pump driving apparatus, the outer end said hollow interior of g the extension being open to permit entry 01' lubricant from said driving apparatus to the said outer bearing.

6. A high speed rotary vane pump according to claim 2 in which-said end wall of the barrel is provided with inwardly extending ducts the inner ends of which open into the barrel interior for supplying lubricant to said vanes and pins and said bearings therefor, said ducts opening into the exterior periphery of the walled end of the barrel in a position to register successively with the said lubricant supply passage in the casing when the barrel is rotated so as to permit.

lubricant'to be directly conveyed across said fine clearance into the ducts in the end wall of the 

